Mulching attachment



United States Patent Era E. Urban RR. 1, Blufton, Ohio 45817 773,169

Nov. 4, 1968 Dec. 15, 1970 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented MULCHINGATTACHMENT 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl.

Int. Cl Field of Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS463,229 11/1891 Hiestand l72/540X 1,780,5 87 11/1930 Gustafson...172/519 2,249,638 7/1941 Rietz 172/519 2,741,968 4/1956 Harris.....172/554 3,207,234 9/1965 Stewart 172/519 Primary Examiner-Robert E.Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Stephen C. Pellegrino Attorney- Larson,Taylor and Hinds ABSTRACT: A mulching attachment for a press wheel of aplanter or the like is adapted to be mounted between the beveled rims ofthe wheel. The attachment includes a series of mulching teeth which workthe soil as the press wheel passes thereover and thus prevent crustingover or other hardening of the soil.

PATENTEDUEDI 51970 ERA EURBAN ATTORNEYS MULCHING ATTACHMENT FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to press wheels for planters andthe like and more particularly to a mulching attachment for preparingthe soil during planting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND THE PRIOR ART Generally, before seeding,soil is prepared through the use of a suitable tool such as a disc,harrow, cultipacker or the like or combinations thereof. The soil isworked" to a depth of 3 or 4 inches and is reduced to as fine particlesas is feasible in order to provide aeration and to generally improve thecultivating properties thereof. Although it is generally desirable thatthe soil be relatively loosely packed there should be some compaction ofthe soil around the seed itself. It is a primary function of a presswheel to provide such compaction.

A popular form of press wheel comprises first and second beveled rimsmounted for rotation on a central hub. In a later variation on this typeof press wheel a resilient tire is mounted between the beveled rims andthe outer peripheral surfaces thereof are adapted to flex inwardly andflatten against the beveled rims during rotation of the wheel as thesesurfaces contact the ground. The flattened outer surfaces of the tirewill return to the normal positions thereof after passing over andcontacting the ground and the flexing of these surfaces serves todislodge whatever soil tends to adhere to the tire. In a relativelyrecent variation on this latterdevelopment a series of projectingmembers or fracture bars are provided on the outer surfaces of the tire.The purpose of these bars is to provide indentations in the soil so asto combat crusting over of the soil.

Crusting over of the soil is a particular problem with a press wheelemploying a tire mounted between the beveled rims in that the entireregion over which the tire passes is pressed down thereby. Thus, viewedin cross section, a soil surface in the form of a recessed compact ovalis produced by such an arrangement, the recessing being a result of thebeveled rims of the press wheel and the compact oval shape being aresult of the inward flexing of the tire. Such a surface will tend toharden rapidly to form a crust depending, of course, on the sun andmoisture conditions of the area. It will be appreciated that rain willrun off freely from such a surface and that the emergence and freegrowth of the plants from the seeds will be impeded by such hardening ofthe soil. Although the provision of fracture bars on the surfaces ofthetire as described hereinabove may tend to lessen severity of thehardening the basic problem still remains. To explain, it should benoted that the surface produced by such an arrangement will again begenerally oval and the indentations formed by the projecting bars willslope downwardly along the sides of the oval. Such a surface will notretain significant amounts of rain water (the downwardly slopingindentations holding very small amounts) and thus the problem of rainwater running freely off of the surface so produced and the consequenthardening thereof due to the inability of the soil surface to retainwater remains.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention an attachmentfor a press wheel is provided wherein mulching of the upper surfaces ofthe soil over which thepress wheel passes is effected so that the soilcan better retain moisture and thus hardening thereof is combatted. Theterm mulching is used here to mean treating the soil such that thesurface thereof is left comparatively soft, mellow, loose, friable andin an unpacked condition.

In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention themulching attachment comprises a semiflexible band of a material such asteel which is formed as an annulus and which is adapted to be mountedbetween the beveled rim portions of a presswheel. The mulchingattachment includes a series of mulching projections or teeth whichproject out wardly of the outer peripheral surface of the band-formedannulus.

In accordance with an alternate preferred embodiment the mulching teethare formed by separate elements embedded in or as integral elementsmolded in a resilient carrier annulus. The carrier annulus is mounted ina supporting annulus in spaced relationship to a base portion thereof toprovide flexibility. The carrier annulus is bonded to beveled sideportions of the supporting annulus which, in addition to providingsupport, also engage the beveled rim portions of the press wheel toprovide a flush fitting between the mulching attachment and the presswheel.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in orapparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodimentsfound hereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary frontelevational view of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention asincorporated into a conventional press wheel;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally-along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mulching attachment of FIGS. 1 and2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a further preferred embodimentof the invention as incorporated into a press wheel; 1

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top detail view of a mulching tooth embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a view taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a top view of a planting machine including a series of presswheels incorporating the mulching attachment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a mulchingattachment generally denoted A is shown mounted on a press wheel denotedW. The press wheel W includes first and second spaced apart beveled rimportions 10 and 12 which may be joined by a series of spoke members (notshown in FIG. 1 but denoted S in FIG. 4) to a central hub (not shown). Atop view of the complete press wheel is shown in FIG. 8. The details ofconstruction of the press wheel form no part of the present inventionand because of the well-known nature thereof further description of thepress wheel itself is deemed unnecessary.

The construction mulching attachment A can best be appreciated byconsidering FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 together. The attachment A is formed from asingle band or rim 14, constructed of a suitable material such as steel,into a ring or annulus (see FIG. 3). Downwardly depending flanges. 16and 18 located on opposite ends of band 14 are bolted together bysuitable means such as bolt 20 to form the completed cylinder and tomount the attachment onto the press wheel W. Mulching attachment A ismounted in the open space between rim portions 10 and 12 of press wheelW concentric with the axis of rotation of wheel W and thus forms a rimof press wheel W which joins beveled rims 10 and 12. In mountingattachment A it is merely required that the band 14 be laid in the spacebetween rims l0 and 12 and the ends thereof joined by bolting togetherflanges 16 and I8, tightening of bolt 20 providing secure engagement ofthe attachment A between rings 10 and 12. Band 14 may be preformed intoa general annular shape.

Attachment A includes a series of upright mulching teeth 22 whichproject outwardly of the outer surface of band 14. Mulching teeth 22may, for example, be of a triangular form cut out from and bentoutwardly of band 14 as indicated in FIG. 2. Mulching teeth 22 may takea variety of other forms and, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, may be of acrownlike configuration produced by cutting out and bending upwardlyfour triangular portions 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d of band 14. The

resilience of band 14 may be such that the band 14 is permitted to flexinwardly to provide some flexibility. A somewhat more flexiblearrangement will be described hereinbelow in connection with theembodiment of F lGS. d and 5. The combination mulching attachment presswheel of the invention provides a number of advantages as compared withthe press wheels of the prior art. The soil surface produced by the useof mulching attachment A is roughly in the form of a recessed truncatedtriangle in cross section with a flattened off upper surface as producedby the band attachment l4 and sloping sides as produced by the rims 10and 12 of the press wheel W. Teeth 22 mulch the upper surface soproduced and thus hardening of the soil is combated The soil surfaceproduced by the present invention will retain water efficiently and willthus preclude drying out or crusting over of the soil.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 an alternate embodiment of the invention isshown wherein an attachment A is mounted between rim portions and 12' ofa press wheel W. As described hereinbefore press wheel W is attached toa central hub (not shown) through a series of spokes 5. Press wheel Wgenerally corresponds to press W of FIG. 1 although the slope or bevelof rims 10 and 12 is somewhat more pronounced.

The precise amount of slope of the press wheel rims l0 and 12 is, ofcourse, a matter of design only, although it is noted that, as will bebetter appreciated from the following description, a more positiveengagement between the press wheel W and mulching attachment A iseffected for more marked slopes of the rim portions.

The mulching attachment A basically comprises a supporting band 24,which is annular in form and includes first and second beveled sideportions 26 and 28, and a concentric resilient carrier" band 30 whichcarries or supports a plurality;-of mulching teeth 32. Beveled sideportions 26 and 28 are adapted to engage correspondingly beveled rimportions 10 and 12 of press wheel W when attachment A is fitted into theopen space between rim portions 10 and 12 so that a K flush fit isobtained. As described hereinabove in connection with the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-3 the band 26 may be provided with downwardly depending flangeportions (not shown) which are bolted together to complete the mountingof attachment A onto the press wheel W. in addition to providingengagement with rim portions 10 and i2, beveled sides 26 and 28 of band24 further serve to support resilient band member 30 in concentricspaced relationship to band 24. Resilient band member 31) is bonded toopposed upper portions of sides 26 and 28 as shown and may beconstructed of a number of materials such as natural and syntheticrubber or a suitable plastic such as polyester, polypropylene, nylon,polyethylene, vinyl and Bakelite.

Teeth 32 are generally L-shaped in cross section and comrise asupporting base portion 32a (see MG. 5) which is embedded into resilientband 30 and an upright portion 32b which performs the mulching function.Teeth 32 are preferably formed of metal in the embodiment shown in FIGS.4a'nd 5. Alternatively teeth 32 could be molded into band 30 when band30 is formed and thus would be constructed of whatever material band 30is constructed.

In FIG. 8, there is shown a planting machine M which in cludes a seriesof press wheels W incorporating mulching attachments A in accordancewith the present invention. A frame 34, which includes a tongue section'36 by which the machine M may be drawn and is supported by wheels 38,includes a central support bar 40. Bar 4llincludes a series of pairs ofoutwardly extending presswheel supporting members 42 which rotatablysupport press 'wheels W therebetween. It will be appreciated that themachine M provides cultivation of the soil for planting in'several rowssimultaneously. It will be further understood that machine M could alsoinclude suitable seed planting devices so that both working of the soiland planting of seeds could be effected thereby.

Although the invention has been described in detail with particularreference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood thatvariations and modifications can be effected within the scope and spiritof the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in theappended'claims.

I claim:

1. A press wheel for a planter or the'like comprising first and secondspaced beveled rim portions for compacting the soil on both sides of acentral strip of the soil formed as the press wheel passes over thesoil, and mulching means mounted between said spaced rim portions of thepress wheel an annular band means mounted within said rim portionsconcentrically with the axis of rotation of said press wheel andsubstantially below the outermost end periphery of said rim portions,and a plurality of closely spaced, sharply pointed mulching teethextending radially outwardly from said band means between said rimportions and below said outermost end peripheryof the rim portions formulching said central strip of the surface of the soil as the presswheel passes thereover.

2. A press wheel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said annular band meansis constructed of metal and said mulching teeth are cut out from andbent out of said annular band means.

3. A press wheel in accordance with Claim 1 where said annular bandmeans comprises a resilient annular member carrying a plurality ofmulching teeth and said mulching attachment further comprises supportingmeans for supporting said resilient annulus so as to permit flexingthereof.

4. A press wheel in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said supportingmeans comprises an annular member including first and second beveledside portions for engaging the beveled rim portions of the press wheel.

5. A press wheel in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said mulching teethcomprise L-shaped elements embedded into said resilient member.

6. A press wheel in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said resilientmember is constructed of rubber.

7. A press wheel in accordance with Claim 3 resilient member isconstructed of plastic.

8. A press wheel in accordance with Claim 1 where said annular bandmeans is formed of a bandlike member joined together at opposite endsthereof.

9. A press wheel in accordance with Claim 1 further comprising aplurality of said press wheels and means for supporting said presswheels in spaced relationship.

wherein said

